Enable IPv6 on Linux (2010)

Arun N. — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:09:55 +0000

IPv6 is the future of internet addressing, and Linux, with its robust kernel support, makes it remarkably easy to enable IPv6 on your system. In this guide, we’ll explore the process of setting up IPv6 on a Linux system, with a focus on Red Hat Linux. However, the principles and steps discussed here are applicable to all Linux distributions. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to configure and utilize IPv6 effectively.

Step 1: Ensure IPv6 Support in the Kernel

Before diving into the configuration, you need to confirm that IPv6 support is enabled in your kernel. Most modern kernels have IPv6 support enabled by default. However, it’s always a good idea to double-check.

To do this, open the file /etc/modprobe.conf and comment out the following lines if they exist:

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#alias ipv6 off

#alias net-pf-10 off

Step 2: Enable IPv6 Networking

The next step is to enable IPv6 networking. To do this:

Open the file /etc/sysconfig/network.
Add or modify the following line to read:

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NETWORKING_IPV6=yes

Step 3: Configure the IPv6 Address

To configure your IPv6 address:

Edit the appropriate network configuration file. For example, if you’re using Ethernet, you would typically edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0. If you’re using bond interfaces, the same principles apply.
Add or modify the following lines to specify your IPv6 address details:

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IPV6INIT=yes

IPV6ADDR=your_ipv6_address

IPV6ADDR_SECONDARIES=any_additional_ipv6_addresses

IPV6_DEFAULTGW=your_ipv6_gateway

IPV6_AUTOCONF=yes/no

Step 4: Restart the Network

After making these changes, restart your network to apply the new IPv6 configurations. Your system should now be assigned an IPv6 address, and you’ll be ready to utilize IPv6 networking.

Step 5: Software Configuration

Most Linux software works seamlessly with IPv6. However, for certain services like Apache, you may need to make some adjustments. For Apache, ensure you do the following:

Add the IPv6 listen address to your Apache configuration.
Enable name virtual host for IPv6 addresses if necessary.

Step 6: Testing IPv6 Connectivity

You can verify your IPv6 connectivity by using the ping6 command. For instance, to test your connection to Google’s IPv6 address, you can run:

bash

$ ping6 ipv6.google.com

This command will help you confirm that your system is effectively communicating over IPv6.

Linux – Arun’s blog

Enable IPv6 on Linux (2010)